1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a coin chute construction and more particularly to such a construction for a dispensing machine which requires at least one coin of predetermined size and valuation to initiate one operation of such machine for one item of goods or service.
2. Prior Art Statement
It is known in the art to provide a construction which is referred to by various names including coin slide, coin-control operator, or coin chute construction and which is used to initiate one operation of a dispensing machine such as a dispensing machine which dispenses food, drink, or a commodity such as washing clothes or drying clothes, or the like. However, coin chute constructions proposed previously have deficiencies in that they can often be "cheated", i.e., flat elongate shims, slugs, or illegal coin shaped articles may be used to cause the machine to inititate one operation thereof. Previous constructions are often made such that one or more coins can be jammed in a slider of each so that the jammed coin(s) can be used to provide more than one operation of the dispensing machine. In addition such previous constructions are often comparatively easily jammed preventing normal operation thereof.
Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 3,732,962 teaches a coin chute construction which comprises, a support body, a slider supported on the body for reciprocation in a rectilinear path between a fully retracted inoperative position and a fully advanced operative position thereof, at least one pocket in the slider for receiving a coin with the pocket being defined by surface means for supporting the coin so that upon moving the slider toward the operative position the coin is moved therewith to a test position and then toward the operative position. Such a construction also has test means at the test position for testing the coin for acceptability as to valuation and genuineness and when acceptable allowing full movement of the slider to the operative position enabling the slider to initiate the one operation of the machine, and the construction also has means operative upon failure of the coin to satisfy the test provided by the test means at the test position to thereby preclude the full movement to the operative position of such construction.